Whatever It Takes - Adele Parks (2012)

Hostess with the mostest Eloise leaves London to follow her husband Mark to Dartmouth, where he is to take over his father's solicitor practice. Despite missing the big city and leaving behind her friends, she'll have her mother-in-law Margaret on hand to help with their three daughters. But Margaret is finding it increasingly difficult to get through the day. Meanwhile friend Sara has become so consumed with the need for a baby, that her husband Charlie, a plumber, comes to live with Eloise's family to do up their bathroom. Adele Parks is a master of weaving unpredictable stories about tangled relationships and handles sensitive topics with great aplomb. This story has its slow points throughout but the exceptional ending more than makes up for it.

Whatever It Takes, the latest title from Adele Parks, asks are there limits as to what you'd do for love? The summary says: "Eloise Hamilton is a Londoner born and bred, so it is a momentous day when she reluctantly agrees to uproot to Dartmouth, leaving behind her perfect world so her husband can finally live in his. There are compensations, however. On tap fresh air, a bigger home for her family, her mother-in-law Margaret will welcome her with open arms, and besides, she can still rely on best friend Sara to be her lifeline to London. Yet, both Margaret and Sara are facing their own difficulties. As Margaret begins to lose her history, her health and her mind, will she be able to hold on to the secret she's never wanted to reveal? Sara is consumed with a need for a baby - a desire so ferocious she's prepared to take a terrible risk, without thought of the consequences her actions might unleash on the next generation. Thrust into this unexpected turmoil, Eloise finds she is the one holding everything together for her loved ones - and by an ever-weakening thread. As her world implodes with the strain of being responsible for all around her, someone is bound to be overlooked. And the damage might be irreparable." Whatever It Takes is out in June.

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